One of the most significant things you notice about a country is its choice of flag colour. Historic texts will explain what each colour represents and why it was chosen. Citizens rally behind that identity and personify the meaning as a mantra that guides their being and patriotism.
If you run your fingers through the Altas towards the global south, specifically the map of Africa, and towards the western part, Nigeria sits. A country whose choice of colour for their flag is green and white. With the white column sandwiched between two green vertical columns.
“We are a country with green in our flag, but where is the green in our habits and society?” Salisu Badmasi asked with a wry smile, like the lightbulb moment preceding the start of a revolutionary idea.
Greenery Mindset in Nigeria
“Imagine if the planners and the first Federal Ministers of Abuja did not plant the trees that now provide greenery and shelter for the city?” Badamasi wondered. While doing the feasibility study before launching Thalis Greenery Awareness & Support (TGAS) Foundation, Badamasi highlighted how he encountered an older man in Abuja who, upon hearing the ambition to set up TGAS, recalled how the then Federal Minister of Nigeria, General Mamman Jiya Vatsal, would visit their school to inspire them to plant trees.
However, greenery in Nigeria is still a topic far removed from most people’s consciousness. For a country still battling to create a consistent and forward-looking path to economic prosperity for its people, the cost of living crisis has hit most households. For a heavily import-dependent country, the dollar exchange rate is a vital variable in the prices of goods and services. The exact science of the influence is subject to debate. Without a robust and transparent price regulation mechanism, the cost of essential household commodities is at the seller’s whim, leaving a mostly-consuming society at the mercy of tomorrow’s price.
Of course, the country still participates in and is a signatory to global green events and policies. It is one thing to like the idea of something. It is another to be able to implement it. With 9.5% of its landmass covered by forests and arable land, slightly above 37%, the average Nigerian still thinks of survival first and green later.
At Cop26 in Glasgow, the country’s government pledged a net zero by 2060. However, a high rate of deforestation practices, which also include the use of wood burning for energy generation, tree planting will play an important role in paving the path to a green Nigeria to help offset the forecasted estimate of 25% of the country’s forest being whipped out by 2060.
Why Greenery Awareness and Support?
Badamasi recalled fond childhood memories in Jabiri, Funtua Local Government in Katsina State, Nigeria, where he spent hours in farmlands and gardens while enjoying the abundance and variety of fruits. “These experiences instilled a deep appreciation for the natural world and its offering.”
“We relied on various types of trees for traditional treatments, reinforcing the importance of maintaining a healthy environment.” However, the journey of life took the Warrant Officer of the Nigerian Airforce across many paths, from serving in various bases nationwide to being deployed internationally twice for the United Nations Peace & Support Operations.
It took his most recent deployment to Berlin as the Chief Clerk and Personal Assistant to the Defence Attaché at the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin, Germany, to have a lightbulb moment about harnessing his passion for greenery. In January 2024, over a breakfast discussion with friends, the urge to do something surged beyond resistance. “As a father, I am acutely aware of the dangers climate change poses to my community and future generations,” He reasoned.
Greenery Awareness through TGAS Foundation
Now living in a city where 59% of its total area is covered in green spaces, Badamasi found the perfect bedding ground to build on his passion. Whether walking through the lush green parks or driving through streets serenaded by trees, Berlin gave him an idea of a blueprint. “What if we could build more green parks across Nigeria?” He wondered.
On August 24, 2024, in his community in Jabiri, the Thalis Greenery Awareness & Support (TGAS) Foundation was launched. All those fond childhood memories, the light bulb moment over breakfast in January 2024, the inspirations from Berlin, and the aspiration for a greener Nigeria culminated in a vehicle to drive his passion for green advocacy. “I am committed to promoting green initiatives and advocating for actions that mitigate climate change’s impact.”
TGAS Foundation to Date
Since its launch, the foundation has had 150 volunteers sign up to support its cause. They have planted over 700 trees across five local government areas in Katsina State, Nigeria, and donated over 600 learning materials to schoolchildren.
Their initiatives cut across four dimensions. Grow Them Right engages and nurtures school children on the importance of having the right mindset around green awareness and advocacy. Their “Seeds to Trees” program provides seedlings and nurseries to communities to encourage private green spaces within households.
The other two initiatives are ambitious and reinforce their long-term commitment to the green cause. With their Thalis Green Park, they hope to collaborate with governments and landowners to develop lands into green spaces for community well-being and recreation. Lastly, they hope to launch an initiative on Green Transport & Energy to advocate for reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy conservation.
The ‘one thing’ for TGAS Foundation is simple: “foster environmental awareness and sustainable practices, especially among the youth, to ensure a greener and healthier future.” On his passion and ambition, Salis, as he is fondly called by close friends, beaming with bright eyes and an enthusiastic face, concluded with a charge, “We must put the green in our green-white-green.”
